Apple boss Tim Cook condemns US immigration ban

Tim Cook visited Apple's Glasgow city centre store before accepting an honorary doctorate of science at the University of Glasgow. Picture: John Devlin/TSPL

The chief executive of the world’s most valuable company was addressing an 800-strong audience of students and academics at the University of Glasgow tonight after being awarded an honorary doctorate of science.

The 56-year-old, who took charge of the California-based tech giant in 2011, was asked for his response to Mr Trump’s order targeting people from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

“We don’t support the immigration ban and we have been very public about it,” he said.

“Within 24 hours of it coming into effect I emailed all of our employees about where we stood on it.

“Our simple view is that Apple would not exist without immigration, so this is a huge issue for us.

“So what do we do? We voice our opinion and stand up - we don’t sit in silence.”

Cook made a whistle-stop visit to Scotland having flown in from London earlier in the day. After arriving in Glasgow at 2.30pm he made a surprise appearance at Apple’s flagship store in Buchanan Street.

It was not the business executive’s first visit to the city.

Speaking to The Scotsman after his speech at the university, Cook revealed his very first trip outside of the United States was to Scotland as an IBM employee in 1984.

“I flew into Glasgow and took the train down to Greenock, where the IBM facility was,” he said.

“I remember on that trip I discovered that all of these things I thought were invented in America, were intended in Scotland.

He continued: “The University of Glasgow stands for equality - it hasn’t been doing it for a year or two, but for centuries.”